PRE-GAME REPORT: WOLF PACK VISIT BRUINS IN CRUCIAL GAME TWO OF ATLANTIC DIVISION SEMIFINALS
Apr 29, 2023
PROVIDENCE, RI – The Hartford Wolf Pack will look to put a stranglehold on their Atlantic Division Semifinals series against the Providence Bruins tonight at the Amica Mutual Pavilion. A victory would give Hartford a 2-0 series lead and two road victories against the Eastern Conference’s top seed.
Puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m. and coverage is available on both AHLTV and Mixlr.
Tale of The Tape:
The Wolf Pack and Bruins met ten times during the regular season, with Hartford winning the season series 6-4. Hartford collected points in seven of the ten meetings, posting a record of 6-3-1-0. Despite losing the season series, the Bruins did manage to grab points in seven games as well, going 4-3-3-0.
The Wolf Pack took each of the last three regular season meetings between the foes. That included the finale on April 8th, as the Pack scored a 5-3 decision in Providence that clinched the club a Calder Cup Playoff berth. Turner Elson had two goals in the victory.
In Game One, the Wolf Pack made it four straight victories against the Bruins, taking a 1-0 decision. Bobby Trivigno scored the game’s lone goal 15:23 into the middle stanza, jamming home a puck via a net-mouth scramble. The goal was Trivigno’s second of these Calder Cup Playoffs and stood as his first career game-winning goal in the postseason. Adam Sýkora was credited with the lone assist, his first in the American Hockey League.
This is the sixth playoff series between the Wolf Pack and the Bruins, and the first since 2015. The Bruins knocked the Wolf Pack out of the Calder Cup Playoffs in 1999, 2001, and 2007, while Hartford returned the favor in 2000 and 2015. The Wolf Pack won the 2015 Atlantic Division Quarterfinals series 3-2 over the Bruins.
Wolf Pack Outlook:
The Wolf Pack have won each of their first three games during the Calder Cup Playoffs, doing so on the strength of strong five-on-five play. Through three games, the Wolf Pack have outscored opponents 10-0 at five-on-five. Hartford has also added three empty net goals during the playoffs, outscoring opponents 14-2 overall.
The 14 shots allowed in last night’s 1-0 victory are the fewest allowed in franchise history in a Calder Cup Playoff game. The previous low was 15 shots allowed, done twice before. The Wolf Pack held the Springfield Falcons to just 15 shots on April 23rd, 1999, and the Bruins to 15 shots on April 20th, 2007.
Dylan Garand stopped all 14 Bruins shots last night for his first career Calder Cup Playoff shutout. Garand had three shutouts during his rookie campaign. He has made 57 saves on 59 shots in three playoff starts.
Tanner Fritz leads the Wolf Pack in scoring with six points (1 g, 5 a) through three playoff games. Trivigno, Ty Emberson, Blake Hillman, and Lauri Pajuniemi are tied for the team lead in goals with two each. Trivigno has points in all three games so far during these playoffs (2 g, 1 a). He’s the only Wolf Pack skater to record a point in each game.
Bruins Outlook:
Prior to last night, the Bruins had not played since they defeated the Springfield Thunderbirds by a final score of 7-3 on April 16th. The Bruins were one of two teams in the Atlantic Division, along with the Hershey Bears, to earn a bye through the First Round of the playoffs.
Providence finished with a record of 44-18-8-2, good for 98 points and the Atlantic Division regular season championship. The Bruins also finished as the top team in the Eastern Conference and will have home ice throughout the Eastern Conference portion of the playoffs as a result. The Bruins finished third in the AHL, behind only the Calgary Wranglers (106 points) and the Coachella Valley Firebirds (103 points).
Goaltender Brandon Bussi made 31 saves on 32 shots in his Calder Cup Playoff debut on Friday night. Bussi went 22-5-4 during the regular season, pacing the Bruins with a .924 save percentage. Bussi, however, is 0-1-1 in two career starts against the Wolf Pack including last night.
Rookie forward Georgii Merkulov led the Bruins in points with 55 (24 g, 31 a) in 67 regular season games. His 24 goals also led the Bruins in that category.
Game Information:
WATCH: AHLTV
LISTEN: Mixlr
Play-by-play voice of the Wolf Pack Alex Thomas will have ‘Wolf Pack Pregame’ starting live at 6:50 p.m. on both AHLTV and Mixlr.
The series shifts to the XL Center in Hartford on Wednesday, May 3rd, for Game Three. The puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. For playoff ticket information please visit www.hartfordwolfpack.com/tickets/playoff-information.
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ABOUT THE HARTFORD WOLF PACK: The Hartford Wolf Pack has been a premier franchise in the American Hockey League since the team’s inception in 1997. The Wolf Pack is the top player-development affiliate of the NHL's New York Rangers and plays at the XL Center. The Wolf Pack has been home to some of the Rangers newest faces including Igor Shesterkin, Filip Chytil, and Ryan Lindgren. Follow the Wolf Pack on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.